NASCAR

Earnhardt Jr. gives 2013 car solid review at test

CONCORD, N.C. (AP)

NASCAR spent almost the entire year developing its 2013 car in
hopes the ''Gen 6'' model will dramatically improve the racing.

After his first test drive Tuesday, NASCAR's most popular driver
approved of the car.

''This sport is going to be revolutionized again with this
car,'' Dale Earnhardt Jr. said.

That's a ringing endorsement for NASCAR, which stumbled out of
the gate with the launch of its 2007 car and never recovered.
Drivers were mixed on the ''Car of Tomorrow'' during its
development and the messaging reflected the varying opinions.

When Kyle Busch won the CoT's debut race at Bristol, he panned
the car in his victory celebration on live television. He didn't
let up in his post-race interviews, likening the car to driving a
milk crate, and the car was forever tainted with fans. The CoT was
finally retired in last month's season finale.

NASCAR has worked tirelessly this year on orders from chairman
Brian France to develop a racier 2013 model, which will officially
debut at the season-opening Daytona 500 in February. It's been
tested some over the fall, but Charlotte Motor Speedway opened
Tuesday for a two-day session attended by 16 drivers.

Among them was Earnhardt, who won 17 races in the ''old'' car
but only two after the CoT was introduced in 2007.

''I think the car has really awesome potential, and I like it
already leaps and bounds beyond the CoT,'' he said. ''This car
really gives me a lot of sensations that are similar to the old car
that we ran 10 years ago. The CoT was just frustrating for me. I
had good runs and good races in it and I had races where the car
drove well, but I never really connected with that car from the
very beginning. Just personally, I didn't really like the car for
what it was.''

NASCAR strived to give the manufacturers brand identity with the
2013 cars in an effort to make them resemble what the automakers
are actually selling in the showrooms.

That's important to Earnhardt.

''You'll stand there and you'll see Fords and Toyotas and
Chevrolets driving by, and it's great because everything looks
different and everything is recognizable,'' he said. ''You don't
have to think about the driver and the team itself to associate
with the manufacturer. You look at the car to see it instantly. I
can appreciate the cars for that fact. I'm not sure a lot of people
realize how important that is, having that instant recognition on a
manufacturer for our sport and how much more healthier it is for
that happening.''

Reigning Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski made his debut in a
Ford while Matt Kenseth switched to Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota
after 13 years in a Ford with Roush Fenway Racing.

Kenseth tweeted a picture from inside the car, where a Darth
Vader mask hung from rearview mirror, and he made a joking
reference to moving over to the dark side. Kenseth later admitted
to being anxious before arriving at the track and he over-revved
his engine before the lunch break, forcing the No. 20 crew to swap
engines.

''It was probably the first time I've been nervous in a race
car, getting in there and going out for the first time, in as long
as I can remember,'' he said. ''I guess it was a good icebreaker.
My last run, I proceeded to go from second gear to first gear and
over-revved the engine. So, I think the guys are in love with me
right now. Like, `Where did we find this clown? Give us the other
one back.' Other than that it's been good.''

Keselowski, back from a brief vacation after collecting his
Sprint Cup trophy in Las Vegas, had a whole new look as
champion.

Penske Racing switched from Dodge to Ford, and with the
manufacturer change came a new paint scheme and firesuit for
Keselowski, who is still tinkering on a final design. After
sporting a predominantly blue look the last three years, his new
schemes have a heavy white presence.

Keselowski said he's only 80 percent settled on the design.

''It's a work in progress. This is something I'm working on to
try to keep up with the Joneses,'' he said. ''All of these Hendrick
guys have their new lightweight, cool firesuits and I don't like
getting beat on or off the race track. I want to be the best
everywhere, so I've got Adidas helping me out. I'm not all the way
there.''

Keselowski was also working for the first time with new teammate
Joey Logano. The combination of a new car and a new teammate made
this first test critical for the champion.

''I think all the signs are there that we have the potential to
be just as strong, if not stronger, than we were last year, which
is very, very encouraging,'' he said. ''It's been a lot of fun
having the first day working with Joey, which I think has been
probably more of an adjusting process than the actual car itself,
and a good adjusting process. I'm curious to see over time how we
can work together and push each other to be the best we can be.
We've got a lot of work to do.''

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